First outcomes
The Food-Cluster started by defining a two-step Strategic Orientation (SOR1), based on the SWOT-analysis methodology
- first, EU strategic objectives for the European food industry as a whole were developed and,
- second, all partners formulated strategic objectives for their own regional food RTD infrastructure, involving local stakeholders.
The first step was implemented in February 2008. A group of 35 participants, partners in the Food-Cluster, joined for identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and came to conclusions about the main strategic objectives for the EU food industry. In general the EU food industry is considered to have the necessary strengths to seize the available opportunities, but considerable efforts are required to eradicate serious weaknesses which could prevent this and to defend itself against serious threats.
More specifically, three objectives were put forward.
- Respond to the growing consumer demand for healthy food by reinforcing the available expertise in functional foods and quality assurance.
- Reinforce the high labour productivity and marketing skills available to foster market growth in emerging economies.
- Enhance the general RTD capacities of food companies in order to enable them to derive benefit from innovation support and to find innovative solutions to counter present (global) threats.
